BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- State Councilor Meng Jianzhu this week ordered police authorities at all levels to unswervingly adhere to the principle that "homicide cases must be busted" and maintain an intense crackdown on serious and violent crime.

    Meng, who is also the Minister of Public Security, issued an important instruction, saying that police authorities must continually enhance their ability to solve homicide cases, so as to live up to public expectations and maintain social justice and fairness.

    Meng asked that excellent police forces, advanced equipment andthe latest technologies be used in criminal investigations to improve the police force's ability to handle serious and violent crimes.

    The Ministry of Public Security held a two-day national meeting on homicide investigations and the security of the Beijing Olympics in Hangzhou, in eastern China's Zhejiang Province, from July 1-2.

    The meeting heard that as a result of a three-year, intense crackdown on homicide, 93.75 percent of homicide cases had been solved in 2007, up 5.03 percentage points from 2004. The number of homicide cases fell 21.31 percent during the period. The number of fugitive suspects also declined.

    Ensuring a safe Olympics was listed by the meeting as a top priority. The meeting instructed every police authority to solve more crimes, arrest more fugitive suspects and reduce public security hidden problems as much as possible, to create a positive public security environment for the Games.

    The meeting also decided to launch a cross-region crime investigation system, use police dogs to seek explosives and intensify efforts to crack down on robbery and theft.